We just read Matthew chapter 21. It describes how Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a colt. In this passage, the Lord is explaining what kind of people are chosen as His workers and how they are used by Him. Who then are those used by God? He uses those who have been loosed from their worldly ties. Those who are tied to the world cannot become workers because they still hold fast to many things of this world. Those who have been freed from the world are used by God as His precious instruments. God makes them His workers and fulfills His will through them. It’s through people who have been set free from the world that God accomplishes His work. He uses them for His work.   https://www.bjnewlife.org/ https://youtube.com/@TheNewLifeMission https://www.facebook.com/shin.john.35 

I’ve just been to the In-jae Discipleship Training Center. In-jae Center is such a great place to spend a vacation and is a very nice resort if we do not work while we are there. Even though we made preparations for the Summer Discipleship Training Camp at the center, our efforts seemed minimal, despite the fact that we worked very hard. First, we sterilized the blankets that you are going to use. Then, we cleaned and dried the floor mats, and plowed the patch and leveled the lot.   https://www.bjnewlife.org/ https://youtube.com/@TheNewLifeMission https://www.facebook.com/shin.john.35 

In today’s Scripture passage, it is written, “Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them”” (Matthew 21:1-3). This Scripture passage describes the event that had occurred when Jesus had arrived at a village called, Bethphage prior to His entering of Jerusalem. Jesus said to the disciples, “Go into the village opposite you. You will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me.” Truly, our Lord is the Master. One day when Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him (Mark 1:16-18). With those simple words spoken by Jesus, Peter and Andrew started following Him.   https://www.bjnewlife.org/ https://youtube.com/@TheNewLifeMission https://www.facebook.com/shin.john.35 

I believe it is proper for a person to love and serve the Lord while living on this earth. Where should people place their hearts? People must fix their hearts on loving only the Lord. While people go on living on this earth, they cannot help but live among people because they are human beings. And human beings are social animals. Also, because they are created beings, they live in a world made by God. Yet, what is the proper way for people to live? We must have the correct knowledge of this, and we must live our lives according to our conviction.   https://www.bjnewlife.org/ https://youtube.com/@TheNewLifeMission https://www.facebook.com/shin.john.35 

About John the Baptist, it is written in the Gospel of John chapter 1 verses 6-7, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.” In this passage, the Apostle John is bearing witness to the importance of the baptism John the Baptist gave Jesus with regard to the gospel of the salvation. Here, speaking of John the Baptist, Jesus says, “This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light.” In this passage, He bears witness to the fact that it was none other than John the Baptist who had passed on all sins of the world through the baptism He received. John the Baptist bore witness to Jesus in order “that all through him might believe.” The Apostle John tells us that through the witnessing of John the Baptist, all the people in the world are able to believe in the Truth which states that Jesus has saved all sinners by the baptism He received and the blood of the Cross.   https://www.bjnewlife.org/ https://youtube.com/@TheNewLifeMission https://www.facebook.com/shin.john.35 

Today, we will share about one’s own thought that opposes God through the passage from Matthew chapter 21 verse 44. The Lord said, “Whoever falls on this stone will be broken.” Jesus said those words to the Pharisees and the chief priests. But even in this day and age, there are many people who oppose God with their own thinking. In other words, it is the human thought that opposes the Truth of God. What would happen to a person who challenges God with his or her own thinking? Dear fellow believers, what would happen if a boulder were to fall on top of one’s head? His or her head would break. Jesus said a person challenging God with his or her own thinking will be broken, as it is written, “If one were to fall on this stone, the person will be broken.” If one were to stand against the gospel of the water and the Spirit of God with his or her own thinking, the person will completely break into pieces.   https://www.bjnewlife.org/ https://youtube.com/@TheNewLifeMission https://www.facebook.com/shin.john.35 

In today’s Scripture passage, the Lord says, “And whoever falls on this stone will be broken.” This passage means that God will judge those who challenge Him. Today, I would like to speak about those who oppose God with their own thinking, especially with their philosophical thoughts. As in the past, and in this day and age, there are many people who oppose God, and the reality of what opposes God is none other than human thinking. How do people oppose God? It is philosophical human thinking that makes people oppose God the most. Human thinking itself opposes God. Does this mean that Christians can also oppose God? Yes, it does. Christians also oppose God when their thoughts have prevailed over the Word of God.   https://www.bjnewlife.org/ https://youtube.com/@TheNewLifeMission https://www.facebook.com/shin.john.35 

Summer Discipleship Training Camp begins August 13th. Yesterday, I visited In-jae Discipleship Training Center (DTC), and it was truly a blessing. This year, many flowers were planted in the front garden of the retreat center, and a swimming pool was also built there. The valley stream was swollen by recent heavy rains, and the water came up to the level where it was splashing against the bottom part of the bridge that we had built at the training center entrance.   https://www.bjnewlife.org/ https://youtube.com/@TheNewLifeMission https://www.facebook.com/shin.john.35 

Let us look at today’s Scripture passage. In the Scripture passage we read today, there appears a king. In chapter 22, verse 2, it says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son.” To be invited by a king is a wonderful thing. If you received an invitation to a luncheon from a king, what and how would you prepare? If your president invited you two months in advance and said, “Let us dine together at the presidential house”, what would you do to get ready for this special occasion? First, you will probably prepare some formal attire. To attend a presidential banquet, you will probably have to buy a suit or tuxedo appropriate for the banquet, even if you put yourself in debt. You will buy a nice necktie, and shine you shoes. You would probably do all these things in advance and then wait for that day to arrive.   https://www.bjnewlife.org/ https://youtube.com/@TheNewLifeMission https://www.facebook.com/shin.john.35 

In the Scripture passage that we read today, there is a parable about a king inviting people to the feast for his son’s wedding. It said that some people received an invitation to the wedding feast of the king’s son, and enjoyed happiness there. But someone was cast out for not having a wedding garment. Who do you think this King of the entire universe is? Who is the King of all kings? He is God. God is the King of the entire universe. Also, that King is Jesus Christ. That is why people say, “My King, Jesus.” That King is none other than God who has created this world, and the Savior who has saved us.   https://www.bjnewlife.org/ https://youtube.com/@TheNewLifeMission https://www.facebook.com/shin.john.35 

As you and I have just read, Matthew chapter 23 describes the wrath that the scribes and the Pharisees were to face. It describes the flawed lives of faith that they were leading, and all the evil deeds that they had committed. Jesus abhorred the lives of the scribes and Pharisees the most. Although Jesus loved everyone when He was on this earth, He utterly loathed the lifestyle of the Pharisees. Why did Jesus dislike them? It wasn’t because of the Pharisees themselves, but because they had misled those who believed in God astray to misbelieve. Today’s Scripture passage shows clearly why Jesus abhorred the Pharisees so much.   https://www.bjnewlife.org/ https://youtube.com/@TheNewLifeMission https://www.facebook.com/shin.john.35 

Holidays seem to come around so often. It seems that we just made a fuss over the New Year but the Lunar New Year is at hand already. The Chuseok holidays (the Korean Thanksgiving Day) will be here before you know it, too. Christmas will be here right after Chuseok, and the year will be over. The time goes by very fast. The non-Christian families in Korea have to offer religious services to their past ancestors on every holiday; even on the day they died. There are many days for the non-Christian Koreans to offer religious services to their past ancestors. That’s why the Korean saying “the ancestor worship ceremonies come so often to the poor” seems true. Such days of ancestor worship can be very burdensome for a poor family who are struggling to put a decent meal on the table.   https://www.bjnewlife.org/ https://youtube.com/@TheNewLifeMission https://www.facebook.com/shin.john.35 

This evening, I would like to share with you the Lord’s teaching on the Great Tribulation. In today’s Scripture passage, the disciples asked Jesus, “What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Jesus then said to them, “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” In particular, Jesus said in verse 6, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars.” How may we then, hear of wars and rumors of wars? Let’s consider how we may actually hear of wars and rumors of wars.   https://www.bjnewlife.org/ https://youtube.com/@TheNewLifeMission https://www.facebook.com/shin.john.35 

The disciples asked Jesus, “When will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Then, our Lord answered them with a few things. As we read starting from verse 36 to verse 39, our Lord says, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”   https://www.bjnewlife.org/ https://youtube.com/@TheNewLifeMission https://www.facebook.com/shin.john.35